My Story - Dr Prabath

By Dr. Prabath, Founder of Millionaire Health Habits & Owner of Unique Medical Cranbourne, Australia

Live Richer in Every Way

By Dr prabath

How does a habit become a habit?

Just because you smoke once, it doesn’t become a habit. Just because you have one drink, it doesn’t become a habit. Just because you eat an ice cream one night, it doesn’t become a habit. So how does smoking once turn into a lifetime habit?

To understand this, the Atomic Habits book illustrates an experiment done with cats.

Summary of Thorndike’s Cat Experiment

Thorndike placed cats inside a puzzle box – a cage with a simple mechanism (like a lever or string) that the cat had to manipulate to escape and reach food placed outside. Initially, the cats would try various random actions to get out. Over repeated trials, the cats gradually learned to perform the specific action that opened the door more quickly.

Thorndike formulated the Law of Effect from this experiment: behaviours followed by satisfying outcomes (like escaping and getting food) are more likely to be repeated, while behaviours followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to be repeated.

Orndike’s Law of Effect & Smoking Addiction

1. Initial Action (Trial):

A person tries smoking a cigarette for the first time.

2. Reward (Satisfying Outcome)

The nicotine in the cigarette triggers pleasurable sensations – relaxation, mild euphoria, or relief from stress.

3. Reinforcement:

Because the experience is rewarding, the brain registers this behaviour as something worth repeating.

4. Habit Formation:

Over time, the person begins associating specific cues (like feeling stressed, social situations, or seeing others smoke) with the craving for that rewarding feeling.

5. Automatic Behaviour:

Eventually, smoking becomes a habit – an automatic response to those cues, driven by the craving for the reward.

How This Relates to Thorndike’s Experiment

Just like the cat learned to escape the box faster because escaping led to a satisfying reward (food), a smoker’s brain learns to repeat smoking because it leads to a satisfying reward (nicotine’s effects). The Law of Effect explains how the pleasurable outcome reinforces the behaviour, increasing the likelihood it will be repeated and become habitual.

Summary

The first cigarette is like the cat’s first trial in the puzzle box.
The pleasurable effects of nicotine act as the satisfying reward.
This reward reinforces the behaviour, making the smoker more likely to repeat it.
Over time, cues trigger cravings, and smoking becomes an automatic habit.